Why journalist deaths continue to rise around the world

Journalist deaths rose sharply in 2022 and don't appear to be slowing down this year

Press vest wrapped around a rifle
In 2022, 67 journalists were killed, and the violence has continued this year
(Image credit: Getty Images)

Mexico is reeling from a pair of shocking journalist deaths. The director of a local news site in Acapulco, Nelson Matus, was shot to death in his car in what was reportedly the third assassination attempt against him. Matus' death came just one week after the body of Luis Martin Sanchez, a reporter for Mexican national newspaper La Jornada, was discovered near the city of Tepic.

But Mexico is hardly alone in the epidemic of violence against journalists. Across the world, 67 journalists, writers, and reporters were killed in 2022, according to the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ). This represents the "highest number [of journalist deaths] since 2018 and an almost 50% increase from 2021," CPJ reported. And that violence has only continued in 2023, as CPJ has tracked 14 journalists who have been killed so far this year.

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Justin Klawans, The Week US

 Justin Klawans has worked as a staff writer at The Week since 2022. He began his career covering local news before joining Newsweek as a breaking news reporter, where he wrote about politics, national and global affairs, business, crime, sports, film, television and other Hollywood news. Justin has also freelanced for outlets including Collider and United Press International.